This invention relates to a traffic support system, and more particularly to a traffic support system such as a navigation system to be used for supporting the journey of a mobile body such as an airplane, an automobile, etc.
A system installed in a mobile body, such as an airplane or an automobile, for supplying various information items that are necessary for the journey of the mobile body or enable it to travel smoothly, i.e. a navigation system, is now being proposed. This system is adapted, for example, to read data from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk, and to calculate, for example, an optimal route to a destination on the basis of data manually input by the user or on the basis of map information, destination information or position information supplied from, for example, an inertial navigation system installed in the mobile body. This route is displayed on a display incorporated in the navigation system in order to facilitate better navigation by the driver or pilot.
Techniques concerning such a navigation system are publicly known from, for example, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publications Nos. 7-318361 and 8-122090.
The navigation systems introduced by these publications incorporate a recording medium that records information such as destination information. They also include a data recording/inputting unit for inputting data provided such that it can be separated from the main system, thereby enabling input of data outside the vehicle, which cannot be realized by the previous navigation systems. Thus, the disclosed systems have good operability.
Further, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 5-6137 proposes another system. The navigation system disclosed therein uses a programmable recording medium such as an optical disk memory, in which data can be written. This enables the user to add private information, such as the telephone number of a restaurant where the user repeatedly visits, to fixed information such as map information supplied from the manufacturing enterprise in the form of a CD-ROM. As a result, the convenience-of the system to the user enhances.
As described above, various types of systems, which are obtained by improving the currently-used navigation systems so as to further enhance its convenience to the user, are now being proposed.
On the other hand, a system represented by a VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) has recently come into practical use, which can provide a navigation system with information such as traffic jam information, parking information, etc. from the outside in a realtime manner. Thus, this system can provide the user with much more information. Information from the VICS is supplied to each navigation system by radio transmission.
Thus, the navigation system is provided with various information items by the user""s data input, from, for example, a position recognizing device installed in the mobile body, or from an outside facility. The navigation system processes the supplied data and creates new information concerning, for example, an optimal route to the destination.
The information obtained while traveling, however, is used up and exhausted all at once. In other words, the conventional navigation system does not have a function for recording, processing and accumulating various information items obtained while traveling to enable effective use of the resultant data at the next journey.
It is the object of the invention to provide a traffic support system capable of using, in subsequent journeys, data obtained by a mobile body while traveling, thereby making the system much more convenient.
The word xe2x80x9cusexe2x80x9d indicates not only the use of information obtained by a mobile body while traveling, but also the use of information having its convenience enhanced by processing such as statistical processing.
The invention provides a traffic support system for providing a user with information concerning a journey of a mobile body, comprising:
recording means for recording information obtained while the mobile body travels;
database storing means for storing a database that is obtained by accumulating information concerning the journey of the mobile body; and
information creating means for creating new information for the journey of the mobile body on the basis of the information recorded by the recording means and the information accumulated in the database,
characterized in that the new information created by the information creating means is provided to the mobile body when it executes a next journey.
The above database contains, for example, traffic jam information recorded in the recording means each time the mobile body travels, information such as an optimal route, for example, created by the information creating means each time the mobile body travels, and information created by, for example, statistic processing based on these information items.
In the above structure, the recording means records information such as traffic jam information obtained while a mobile body such as an automobile travels. On the basis of this traffic jam information and past traffic jam information accumulated in the database, the information creating means creates jam information expected in the next journey of the mobile body, and also an optimal route based on this jam information. The created new information is supplied to the mobile body at the next journey via, for example, a floppy.
Thus, the information obtained in the past journey of the mobile body can be used in subsequent journeys, thereby further enhancing information accuracy and hence enhancing the convenience of the system to the user.
The present invention is also characterized by further comprising accumulated-information changing means for writing, when part of the information accumulated in the database is changed, the changed part of the information into the database.
By virtue of this structure, a place name contained in the database can be revised if a corresponding actual place has its name changed. This revised place name information is used as part of new information, which is supplied to the mobile body at the next journey via, for example, of a floppy.
Therefore, the user can drive the mobile body with updated information, without buying, for example, a new CD-ROM. This means that the system is much more convenient to the user.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.